Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not;
yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened.
Isaiah 48:8
It is painful to remember that, in a certain degree, this
accusation may be laid at the door of believers, who too often are in
a measure spiritually insensible. We may well bewail ourselves that
we do not hear the voice of God as we ought, "Yea, thou heardest
not." There are gentle motions of the Holy Spirit in the soul which
are unheeded by us: there are whisperings of divine command and of
heavenly love which are alike unobserved by our leaden intellects.
Alas! we have been carelessly ignorant--"Yea, thou knewest not."
There are matters within which we ought to have seen, corruptions
which have made headway unnoticed; sweet affections which are being
blighted like flowers in the frost, untended by us; glimpses of the
divine face which might be perceived if we did not wall up the
windows of our soul. But we "have not known." As we think of it we
are humbled in the deepest self-abasement. How must we adore the
grace of God as we learn from the context that all this folly and
ignorance, on our part, was foreknown by God, and, notwithstanding
that foreknowledge, He yet has been pleased to deal with us in a way
of mercy! Admire the marvellous sovereign grace which could have
chosen us in the sight of all this! Wonder at the price that was paid
for us when Christ knew what we should be! He who hung upon the cross
foresaw us as unbelieving, backsliding, cold of heart, indifferent,
careless, lax in prayer, and yet He said, "I am the Lord thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour . . . Since thou wast precious in My
sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore
will I give men for thee, and people for thy life"! O redemption, how
wondrously resplendent dost thou shine when we think how black we
are! O Holy Spirit, give us henceforth the hearing ear, the
understanding heart!
